To be a Sarmatian Wife
by exploded.corn.kernels
Summary: ...She was cut off by a kiss. 'Nay you must stay here'... 'Very well, just so the horses don't die', she grumbled, TristranOC


Disclaimer: I don't own King Arthur or its characters, I am a poor unworthy Uni student and can barely afford to run my own car. But I unfortunately have the opportunity to own my slightly disturbing brain. It troubles me at times.

**Prologue:**

The young woman looked out over the plains with an uneasy feeling, something wrong was going to happen today. She looked toward her left where her husband's mares were snorting at the dried grass she had laid down for them. She turned the other way towards the Danube River. There in the distance it made its course, indifferent to the world around it. As she was staring into the distance and her mind wandering the course of the river she did not see her husband sneak up behind her until she felt two strong arms around her. She jumped startled as he chuckled into her hair.

"Wife, I believe you told me you were coming here to feed my mares, not look into the distance and daydream."

"Tristran!" she exclaimed as she attempted to turn around in his arms. The key word being attempted as he held her tight, "What are you up to?" she questioned suddenly suspicious. He continued chuckling quietly as he picked her up and ever so slowly walked towards a small lake that the mares drank from.

"Tristran", she squealed after seeing his destination, "let me down or you will be sleeping with the horses tonight!"

Tristran continued walking, ignoring the yelling, wiggling, kicking, furious little bundle that was his wife and calmly threw her into the water. She landed with an ungraceful splash and surfaced in an unruly mess glaring daggers at the man she called husband. Getting out of the water she stood there glaring at him and proceeded to push him in, her plan was foiled because he was too strong and stood his ground. Stepping back and assessing the situation she sighed and splooshed back into water, grabbing a handful of mud and threw it at her husband giggling with delight when it made a satisfying splat as it hit him in the chest. Tristran merely smiled at his wife, "you do know there are leeches in that lake, don't you?" She paled suddenly ran out of the water and attached herself to him screaming "Get them off! Get the off!" Tristran broke out into laughter as his wife frantically kicked her legs trying to get the leeches off. He detached himself from her, sat down and smiled at her. When she looked like she wasn't going to stop anytime soon he decided to intervene.

"Darling", he said and received no response, "Darling, Darling, ARDELLE!" When he raised his voice she stopped fussing and looked at him. She was a mess of dark hair and muddy clothes but still looked beautiful to him. "There are no leeches in that lake" he said quietly before dragging her down to him and capturing her lips with his own before she could retaliate. They came back up for air a little breathless. "I could never stay mad at you", she sighed, lowering her arms from his neck. She looked down as she started to get up, once in a squatting position she quickly grabbed a handful of mud and threw into Tristran's face and started making a hasty retreat.

Tristran sat there for a moment not quite connecting what had happened and saw his wife running for dear life back towards the village. He quickly scrambled up and started sprinting after her. She was fast, but he was faster, slowly catching up to her he tackled her to the ground and they rolled in a tangle of legs and kisses to land at a pair of boots. The young couple looked up at the owner and smiled sheepishly.

"Father!" exclaimed Ardelle, hastily checking she was not revealing anything to the man who sired her.

He merely smiled at his daughter, but it was not long lived. "They are coming" he stated.

"Who are coming?"

"The Romans"

"You jest surely father"

"No dear daughter I do not, they will be here by nightfall. Come."

Ardelle looked at her husband, who had not said a word in this exchange. His face showed no emotion as he got up and helped his wife to her feet. The three walked silently towards the village, separating when they reached the huts. Tristran and Ardelle walked in their door, once out of sight all her composure fell and she burst into tears and clung to Tristran.

"Hush, Hush little one", he whispered in her ear, "do you want me to remember my strong, beautiful wife as a weeping, blotchy mess?"

She looked at her husband, sniffed not too delicately and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Let me wipe my face down and I will be all better" she sniffled.

"Nay Dear One, come here, I need to have my last moment with you to be full of joy, love and happiness to look back on while I am gone." He picked her up and took her to his bed.

They awoke to a noise of thudding hoofs going passed and yells of the villagers.

"They are here", Tristran stated, his face devoid of emotion as he looked at his wife.

"Let me come with you, please, I ride as well as any man and I don't have too many possessions I can't live without and I want to…" she was cut off by a kiss.

"Nay, you must stay here, I know my duty, I must leave on missions for many days, who knows what the Roman's may do to you when I am not there."

"I can look after myself Tristran!"

"I know my love, but who will look after my mares and keep my home clean?"

"Very well, only so the horses don't die", she grumbled.

"Now", he said, holding her to him, "remember how to count to 15. And how long it will take for the journey?"

"Of course, I am not a simpleton my husband, I will know when you are due home and I will wait for you. But I am warning you, if you are late, I am going to hunt you down!"

Tristran chuckled, "very well, come let us meet these Romans."

They walked out of their home to hear a Roman Officer yelling at the villagers to bring their son's to do their duty to Rome.

"I must get my horse, wait for me in the square", whispered Tristran and he ran off into the dusk landscape.

Ardelle continued walking towards the square moping and kicking the dirt below her feet. As she entered the crowd of villagers and Roman soldiers in the centre of the village she had to bite her lip for fear of crying again. She saw her father and walked up to him.

"Hello child, you are holding up strongly, I am proud of you"

"Thankyou father, Is 15 years a very long time?"

Her father looked down upon her remembering the child who used to giggle on his knee. He scooped her up into a hug. Spying Tristran entering the crowd he whispered to his daughter, "Go say goodbye to your husband, it will be a while before you see him again"

Ardelle nodded and walked slowly across the small square. She spotted a boy who looked older and bigger then Tristran, who was Sarmatian, sitting upon a horse behind a Roman Soldier and ran up to him. Grabbing him by the shirt, she pulled him down to her eye level. "You better look after my husband, he better not die or I swear I will hunt you down, that is a promise." She viscously whispered. Tristran ran up to her, realising what she must have said to the other boy, and grabbed her arm.

"I can look after myself well enough", he defended

"I know but it makes me feel better", she smiled and then her face sadden, "Be well, I love you"

"I love you too, my Ardelle."


End file.
